Old Testament
Historical Books (OT5)
Ezra-Nehemiah
Ross Arnold, Winter 2014
Lakeside institute of Theology
Old Testament Historical Books (OT5)
1. Introduction; Book of Joshua: Conquest
and Partition of the Land
2. Judges & Ruth: Moral Crisis
3. 1st & 2nd Samuel: The United Kingdom;
David the Great King
4. 1st & 2nd Kings: Solomon; Division and
Destruction
5. 1st & 2nd Chronicles: Sacred History
Retold
6. Ezra & Nehemiah: Rebuilding
7. Esther; Final Exam
Law/History
5+12
Wisdom
39
27
66
5
Prophets
5+12
The Babylonian Deportations of Judah
 605 BC – Babylonians defeat Egyptians at Battle of
Carchemish and take control of Judah, deporting
some Jews to Babylon – including Daniel and his
friends Hananiah, Mishael & Azariah.
 599-97 BC – Pro-Egyptian party in Jerusalem
revolts against Babylonian rule, leading to siege
and pillaging of Jerusalem and deportation of King
Jehoiachin & his court, including Prophet Ezekiel.
 587-86 BC – King Zedekiah revolts against
Babylonians by allying with Egypt, leading to the
destruction of the Jerusalem Temple & city walls.
 582 BC – Final deportation, in response to
assassination of appointed governor Gedaliah &
his Babylonian advisors.
Babylonia King Nebuchadnezzar
destroys the Southern Kingdom
of Judah in 586 BC, burning
Jerusalem and the Temple.
How the Babylonian Exile Affected the Jews
 They were left wondering if God still loved them and
if they were still His special people.
 They were unsure how to be the people of God
when the things that had most represented their
election as God’s people – the Promised Land and
the Temple – had been taken away or destroyed.
 They did not know how to worship without a
Temple.
 They were fearful of being assimilated and losing
their uniqueness as a people – as had happened to
the tribes in the Northern Kingdom of Israel when
Assyrian had conquered them 136 years earlier.
550-330 BC
The Jews Return from Babylonian Captivity
 539 BC – Babylonians are conquered by the
Persians under Cyrus the Great, who issues a
decree allowing captive people to return home, and
for the Jews to rebuild the Temple.
 538 BC – 1st Jews return under Zerubbabel, restore
the altar and foundations of the Temple.
 525 BC – Work on the Temple halts because of local
opposition.
 515 BC – Temple rebuilding completed in sixth year
of Persian King Darius I.
 458 BC – Ezra leads second return of exiles to
Jerusalem, begins teaching the Law.
 445 BC – Nehemiah, cupbearer to Artaxerxes I
returns to Jerusalem and rebuilds the city walls.
 334 BC – Alexander the Great conquers Persia.
The Book of Ezra
Ezra
Date:
c. 538 BC - 438 BC
Theme: Return & Rebuilding of the
Temple
Purpose: To show God is faithful to
the Remnant.
• Author:
•
•
•
• Outline:
*The Exiles Return (chs.1-2)
*Rebuilding the Temple (chs.3-6)
*Ministry of Ezra (chs.7-10)
The Book of Ezra
• Major Parallels in World History
– Ezra: 538 – 438 BC
– 539 BC – on October 12, Cyrus the Great of Persia
conquers Babylonia
– 538 BC – King Cyrus decrees Jews in captive
Babylonia may return to Jerusalem.
– 528 BC – Gautama Buddha achieves enlightenment
in India.
– 515 BC – Jerusalem Temple rebuilt by returning exiles.
– 490 BC – Greeks defeat Persians in Battle of
Marathon.
– 447-432 BC – The Parthenon Temple to Athena is
built in Athens.
Outline of Ezra-Nehemiah
I.
First Return from Exile & Temple Rebuilt (chs.1-6)
A.
First return of the exiles (ch.1)
1.
2.
B.
C.
List of the returning exiles (ch.2)
Revival of Temple worship (ch.3)
1.
2.
3.
D.
E.
The Edict of Cyrus the Great (1:1-4)
The return under Sheshbazar/Zerubbabel (1:5-11)
Rebuilding of the altar (3:1-3)
Festival of Tabernacles (3:4-6)
Beginning of Temple reconstruction (3:7-13)
Opposition to the building (4:1-23)
1.
Opposition during the reign of Cyrus (4:1-5)
2.
Opposition during the reign of Xerxes (4:6)
3.
Opposition during the reign of Artaxerxes (4:7-23)
Completion of the Temple (4:24-6:22)
1.
Resumption of work under Darius (4:24)
2.
A new beginning inspired by Haggai & Zechariah (5:1-2)
3.
Intervention of Governor Tattenai (5:3-5)
4.
Report to Darius (5:6-17)
5.
Search for the decree of Cyrus (6:1-6)
6.
Darius’ orders for rebuilding the Temple (6:6-12)
Outline of Ezra-Nehemiah
7.
8.
9.
Completion of the Temple (6:13-15)
Dedication of the Temple (6:16-18)
Celebration of Passover (6:19-22)
II. Ezra’s Return and Reforms (chs.7-10)
A.
Ezra’s return to Jerusalem (chs.7-8)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
B.
Introduction (7:1-10)
Authorization by Artaxerxes (7:11-26)
Ezra’s doxology (7:27-28)
List of those returning with Ezra (8:1-14)
The search for Levites (8:15-20)
Prayer and fasting (8:21-23)
Assignment of the sacred articles (8:24-30)
The journey and arrival in Jerusalem (8:31-36)
Ezra’s Reforms (chs.9-10)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The offense of mixed marriages (9:1-5)
Ezra’s confession and prayer (9:6-15)
The people’s response (10:1-4)
Calling of a public assembly (10:5-15)
Investigation of the offenders (10:16-17)
The list of offenders (10:18-43)
The dissolution of mixed marriages (10:44)
The Book of Ezra
Key Verses
When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the
LORD, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets,
and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took
their places to praise the LORD, as prescribed by David
king of Israel. 11With praise and thanksgiving they sang to
the LORD: "He is good; his love to Israel endures forever."
And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the
LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD
was laid.
Ezra 3:10-11
After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of
Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah… 6this Ezra came up from
Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of
Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The
king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of
the LORD his God was on him.
Ezra 7:1,6
The Book of Nehemiah
• Author: Ezra/Nehemiah
• Date:
c. 445 BC - 420 BC
Rebuilding the Walls of
Jerusalem
Purpose: To show God is faithful to the
Remnant.
Outline: *Nehemiah Returns (1-2)
*Rebuilding the Walls (3)
*Threats and Persecution (4-7)
*Renewal of Covenant (8-10)
*Dedication and Laws (11-13)
• Theme:
•
•
The Book of Nehemiah
• Major Parallels in World History
– Nehemiah: 445 – 420 BC
– 445 BC – Nehemiah, butler to Persian King
Artaxerxes I, is appointed governor of
Jerusalem and told to rebuild the walls of
the city.
– 445 BC – The walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt in
only 52 days.
– 431-404 BC – The Peloponnesian War between
Athens and Sparta.
– 399 BC – Socrates is executed in Athens.
The Book of Nehemiah
Key Verses
Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some
other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish
remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.
3They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are
back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The
wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been
burned with fire." 4 When I heard these things, I sat down
and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and
prayed before the God of heaven.
Nehemiah 1:2-4
So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fiftytwo days. 16When all our enemies heard about this, all the
surrounding nations were afraid and lost their selfconfidence, because they realized that this work had been
done with the help of our God.
Nehemiah 6:15-16
Outline of Ezra-Nehemiah
I.
Nehemiah’s First Administration (chs.1-12)
A.
Nehemiah’s response to the situation in Jerusalem (ch.1)
1.
2.
B.
Nehemiah’s journey to Jerusalem (2:1-10)
1.
2.
C.
E.
The king’s permission (2:1-8)
The journey itself (2:9-10)
Nehemiah’s actions on arrival in Jerusalem (2:11-20)
1.
2.
3.
D.
News of the plight of Jerusalem (1:1-4)
Nehemiah’s prayer (1:5-11)
Nighttime inspection of the walls (2:11-16)
Exhortation to rebuild (2:17-18)
His response to opposition (2:19-20)
List of the builders of the wall (ch.3)
1.
The northern section (3:1-7)
2.
The western section (3:8-13)
3.
The southern section (3:14)
4.
The eastern section (3:15-32)
Opposition to rebuilding the wall (ch.4)
1.
The derision of Sanballat and Tobiah (4:1-5)
2.
The threat of attack (4:6-15)
3.
Rebuilding the wall (4:16-23)
Outline of Ezra-Nehemiah
F.
Social and Economic Problems (ch.5)
1.
2.
3.
The complaints of the poor (5:1-5)
The cancellation of debts (5:6-13)
Nehemiah’s unselfish example (5:14-19)
G. The wall rebuilt despite opposition
1.
2.
3.
H.
Attempts to snare Nehemiah (6:1-9)
The hiring of false prophets (6:10-14)
The completion of the wall (6:15-19)
List of exiles (7:1-73a)
1.
2.
3.
4.
I.
(ch.6)
Provisions for the protection of Jerusalem (7:1-3)
Nehemiah discovers the list of returnees (7:4-5)
The returnees delineated (7:6-72)
Settlement of the exiles (7:73a)
Ezra’s preaching and outbreak of revival (7:73b-10:39)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Public explanation of the Scriptures (7:73b-8:12)
Festival of Tabernacles (8:13-18)
A day of fasting, confession and prayer (9:1-37)
A binding agreement (9:38)
A list of those who sealed the agreement (10:1-29)
Provisions of the agreement (10:30-39)
Outline of Ezra-Nehemiah
J.
New residents of Judah and Jerusalem (ch.11)
1.
2.
K.
New residents for Jerusalem (11:1-24)
New residents for Judah (11:25-36)
Lists of priests and the dedication of the wall
1.
2.
3.
Priests and Levites from the first return (12:1-9)
Dedication of the wall of Jerusalem (12:10-26)
Regulations of Temple offerings and services (12:44-47)
II. Nehemiah’s Second Administration
A.
B.
Mixed marriages (13:1-3)
Tobiah’s occupation of Temple quarters (13:4-5)
Nehemiah’s return (13:6-9)
1.
2.
C.
(ch.13)
Abuses during his absence (13:1-5)
1.
2.
His arrival (13:6-7)
His expulsion of Tobiah (13:8-9)
Reorganization and reforms (13:10-31)
1.
2.
3.
4.
(ch.12)
Offerings for the Temple staff (13:10-14)
Abuse of the Sabbath (13:15-22)
Mixed marriages (13:23-29)
Provisions of wood and firstfruits (13:30-31